When the Sun Found the Moon
by CelticInTheAU
Summary: What if the meeting in the parking lot of The Black Penny had panned out differently? What could it mean for Andy and Sam, and how would it change the way they worked together from then on in? Would events have run differently, or would they have ended up keeping their distance for a whole other reason? AU take on 1.02 and the rest of S1. One ep per chapter.
1. You've fallen from the sun

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue, and I am in no way affiliated with the cast and crew of the series. My first fic in this fandom; cross-posted to AO3 and . **

**Story title taken from "When the Day Met the Night" by Panic at the Disco; chapter title taken from "All Alright" by Fun.**

**Most of the first section of this chapter is from "Mercury Retrograde" – all credits to the wonderful writing staff on that episode; but the rest after is mine. **

Gently biting her lip, Andy looked up as she saw the movement of her T.O from the corner of her eye. Gaze locked on his figure as he walked through the sparsely filled floor of the bar, she watched as Sam exited The Black Penny, fumbling for words to say to her fellow rookies. Swallowing hard, she got to her feet, rushing after him in hopes that they could talk – though about what, yet, she really didn't know.

"Sir," she called out as she jogged to catch up with him in the parking lot, trying not to trip over her own feet as she moved along the damp concrete. She added in an almost dim-witted 'hey' when the man in question turned around, and she had to try her hardest not to flush under his attentive gaze.

Her lips quirked up slightly as she heard his replied 'hey', and then the question that had been bugging her since the end of shift that day came falling from her lips. "How do you know Anton Hill won't follow Emily out west?"

Having come to a stop beside what Andy could only suspect was Sam's car, she watched as he turned to face her, their gazes locked as the question hung in the air for a moment. She couldn't help the slight twitch of a smile that came over her lips as Sam looked – in her mind, anyway – utterly adorable as he muttered 'huh'?

"Well, we put her on a bus to Kelowna; how do you know he's not gonna go there and kill her?"

"She didn't go to Kelowna," Sam explained, and a soft 'oh' escaped her lips. _Of course he won't tell you where the informant is really going; you're just a rookie to him_. "It's not that I don't trust you -" _Actually, Sam, you don't trust me. Eight months, remember?_ "- it just seems like fewer people who know…"

She tried her hardest not to roll her eyes at the comment, knowing that it was a collection of words he was trying to say to make her feel better. _It's what T.O's were supposed to do after long days, wasn't it? _"Right… yeah… yeah… You really gave up the whole case for her, huh?"

Sam smiled slightly to himself as he watched her head tilt almost imperceptibly to the side, her hair falling away from her face in a way that made his fingers positively itch to touch. "Yeah, well… who knows what I gave up," he replied, smile still playing at his lips. He supposed that he should really put the fact that the case had been lost when she blew his cover behind him, but Sam couldn't help but enjoy the fact that he could rib her over it, still, and gain a reaction from her. "Maybe nothing; Emily's smart that way."

She could tell that over the eight months he had spent under, he had grown to care for Emily. As if the actions from the day weren't enough to make it clear for her, but Andy could tell by the way he smiled and talked so fondly of the woman that she had a place in the officer's heart. Unable to keep her eyes from his face, the next words rolled off her tongue, almost unbidden. "Were you scared in there?"

Watching the way his tongue pressed to the back of his teeth, Andy tried not to wince at how stupid she just sounded. Here she was, talking to a trained police officer who had been on the force for longer than she probably thought, and she was asking stupid questions about fear; fear he probably didn't even feel anymore. She could tell that Sam wanted to laugh with her, but she praised some higher power in her mind when she heard his almost softly spoken reply.

"Yeah," Sam replied, his gaze unwavering as he watched the rookie before him. What was it about this woman that had him so… captivated? What was it about her that made him want to talk, want to get closer to her? The smile remained on his lips as he found himself being drawn slightly closer to Andy. "You?"

Tension was thick in the air as Sam waited to hear Andy's response, and when it came, he was taken by surprise. "No… I mean, you were there."

He was sure the shock was apparent on his face, but Sam quickly schooled his features. _Don't read into it, Swarek_, he thought to himself as he watched Andy extend her hand. Sliding his hand into hers, Sam smiled as their terribly awkward conversation came to a close. "Let me take you home."

Smiling at the offer, Andy took a step forward, a small laugh leaving her lips as she processed what her T.O was offering. _A genuine ride home, or something more_, the voice in the back of her head supplied, and Andy wanted nothing more than to find out which of the answers it would be. Her eyes flicked from his down to his lips, and she felt as if she were in a trance; one that she didn't want to find herself out of.

"McNally," Sam spoke, his voice washing over her, causing her eyes to slide back up to his. They both seemed to move closer after he said her name, and Andy couldn't help but hold her breath as she watched the way he tilted his head as they steadily closed the gap between us.

There was a voice in her head screaming at her to stop, telling her that it was a bad idea, given their positions within the division. But there was another voice telling her that she should go for it; that this could be an opportunity that she shouldn't miss out on.

Sam could tell she was having an internal war with herself, and he wanted it over. He wouldn't care whether she stepped closer to him, or left, citing that it was wrong, or that they were letting the day's adrenaline get to them. He would prefer the first option, of course, but if she denied him, it wasn't as if his mind couldn't conjure up scenarios, as it had done for the past day or so. Shaking his head ever so slightly, he used the hand that was still wrapped around hers to tug her closer, closing the final gap between them before pressing his lips to hers.

The touch of their lips stopped the noise inside her head, and Andy let out a startled moan as she felt herself give in to Sam's kiss. Slowly pulling her hand out from between his, she pressed both firmly to his chest, neither pushing him away, nor tugging him closer. Fingers tangling in the fabric of his t-shirt, Andy pulled back from their kiss, her lower lip between her teeth as she looked up at Sam, before nodding. "Yes."

His eyes scanned over her slightly flushed face, eyebrow arched slightly as he tried to decipher what exactly it was that Andy was saying 'yes' to, when it hit him. Chuckling, his hands slid down onto her hips, tugging her closer as he dipped his head down, taking another soft kiss from her lips, before stepping back. "Hop in," he spoke, gesturing to the car beside them. His eyes followed Andy as she moved around the vehicle, sliding into the passenger seat without a word. Brow arched at her silence, Sam took to the driver's seat, making sure they were both ready before starting the car and pulling out of the lot.

Neither of them noticed the figure of Gail Peck that stood in the shadows of The Black Penny, having seen the end of the exchange the T.O and rookie just shared.

* * *

Silenced engulfed the space between the two officers sitting in the car as they stared ahead at Andy's apartment complex. The heavy silence, however, didn't bring across awkwardness, as Andy would have predicted; both she and Sam seemed to be too caught up in their own thoughts.

_Should I invite him in, or would that be too presumptuous? We could always just have coffee, then I can send him on his way so that awkwardness won't weigh heavy on us tomorrow when shift starts. But what if he makes a move as soon as we step inside? Would I have the willpower to –_

"McNally!" Sam ended up shouting, rolling his eyes as the woman beside him jumped at the gruffness of his voice. He had been trying to gain her attention for the better part of five minutes now, but she had been so caught up in her own thoughts – not that he hadn't been so earlier, but obviously she needed to sift through a few more things.

Turning her head to face her T.O, Andy gave an almost sheepish expression as she regarded him. "Yes, Sir?"

The way that final word rolled off her tongue was enough to have Sam's thoughts shooting back into dangerous territory. With a groan, he reached over the centre console, hand wrapping loosely around the back of Andy's neck as he tugged her head forward, slanting their lips together in a rough, yet quick kiss. Pulling back after a few moments, he smirked at the slightly dazed look spread across her face.

"You gonna invite me in, or what?"

Silencing the war raging in her head, Andy ran her tongue lightly along her lower lip, before shyly nodding at Sam; unbuckling her seatbelt and slipping out of the vehicle. Turning around so that she faced the car, Andy slowly walked backwards as a coy grin played across her lips, just waiting for Sam to follow. As the back of her heel hit the lowest step at the front of the building, she paused, arms moving to cross over her chest as her T.O got out the car and jogged over to her, pausing so that there was very little space remaining between them.

"You sure?" Sam found himself asking, suddenly worrying almost too much about his rookie, and just what doing this could mean. He was well aware of the rules against rookies fraternising with their T.O's, but Sam Swarek was not known for following the rules. Andy, however… it was her second day on the job, after all.

Andy brought her hand up to rest against his chest once more, the teasing smile she'd been giving Sam since the kiss in the car only growing wider. "You scared, Swarek?"

She didn't know where the question came from, but she didn't leave him any time to answer before she turned and dashed up the stairs, opening the door to the foyer of the building and holding it open for her companion.

Sam shook his head, trying not to laugh aloud at her antics, before following her, pressing a hand low on her back as she led him through to her apartment. The tension was still thick between them, and it took neither of them by surprise when Sam backed Andy against the closest wall upon the closing of her apartment door behind them.

Her eyes flicked between his lips and his steady gaze, and she couldn't help the nervous way that she bit at her lower lip. This was new territory for her; never had Andy McNally been so bold, so brazen before.

"You scared, McNally?" Sam's words echoed those she spoke earlier outside, and she couldn't help the nervous giggle that escaped her lips. Giving a small shake of her head, her arms came up to wind around Sam's shoulders, wrists crossing behind his neck.

He smiled back down at her, taking another step forward so that she was pressed completely against the wall, trapped there by the strength of his body. One hand gripped at her hip as the other slid around the side of her neck, thumb brushing the underside of her jaw as he closed the distance between them. Their noses brushed lightly, her head tilting up slightly as he dipped his, sealing their lips in a slow, almost measured kiss; testing the waters, if anything.

A slight whine left Andy's lips, almost completely muffled by the pressure of Sam's, but he managed to catch it. His own lips curving into a smirk, his hand slipped from her neck into her hair, tugging on it sharply, kissing the rookie deeper as a gasp left her lips.

She pulled him closer, their chests pressed tight as her hands gripped at the back of his head, wanting to eliminate all sense of space between them. A shudder ran through her body as she felt the tug of his teeth on her lower lip; a motion that was accompanied by a soft moan.

Heat shot through his body at the sounds coming from her, blood moving southwards. His hand followed, moving to grasp Andy's thighs, coaxing her legs to wrap around his body as he carried her through to the next room, eyes opening long enough to move them over to the couch.

Sam fell back onto the soft cushions, bringing her down on top of him with a groan as her hips pressed down on his growing erection. Pulling his lips away, he looked at her through hooded eyes as she teased him, grinding and rolling his hips as her hands moved to remove her tank top slowly.

"Beautiful," he found himself murmuring as tanned skin slowly became uncovered, his fingers grazing over taut muscles and blemish-free flesh as he traced nonsensical patterns upon her torso. Sam flicked his gaze up to meet Andy's face, a ghost of a smile flitting over his features before he leaned in, pressing kisses to the flesh spilling out of the top of her sports bra.

Shivering hard at the attention being paid to her skin, Andy tipped her head back as a moan left her lips, her hips rolling slowly against Sam's, trapping his denim-encased length against the seam of her jeans, fire settling deep in her belly at the lust he was evoking in her. Her hands moved to cup his cheeks, thumbs brushing over the now smooth skin as their eyes connected, and she found herself completely captivated; she had barely been able to keep her eyes off him whenever they'd been in the same vicinity since she tackled him down yesterday.

Sam groaned softly at the almost timid way she touched his face, compared to the way her hips were slowly teasing his own. Shaking his head, he gripped her hips tightly, shifting them so that she lay on the couch, her back pressed along its length as he knelt between her legs. Sitting back on his heels, Sam unbuckled his belt and undid his jeans, before tugging off his shirt and throwing it haphazardly aside, before his fingers went to work at the button to her jeans.

Raising her hips to aid him, Andy bit down hard on her lower lip as the offending material was tugged down her legs, an almost nervous giggle escaping her lips when they got caught around her ankles, having forgotten to kick her shoes off as she entered the apartment. Eyes still trained on Sam's face, she watched the smirk appear as he divested her of the unwanted shoes and jeans, before leaning up and pulling him back down to her.

Teeth and tongues clashed as their kisses became heated and frantic, both of them trying to divest each other of the rest of their clothing. As bare skin was revealed, they both stopped in their need to touch, to feel; the only sound filling the otherwise silent apartment was that of their heavy breathing.

_No turning back, McNally_, Andy found herself thinking as her hands gripped at his broad back, trying to pull him closer. _This is it; once the line is crossed, everything changes._

Arms sliding under her thighs, Sam pulled Andy closer to him, wasting no time in nestling their bodies as close to each other as possible. He could tell she was getting trapped in her head once more, but he wanted her full attention.

"McNally," Sam breathed out, one hand moving between them to guide himself into her waiting heat, a simultaneous groan falling from both their lips as he slid deep.

"Sam," she gasped in reply, nails biting into the skin of his upper back as her hips arched off the couch, walls tightening around his length as she felt the delicious burn that came with being joined.

Sam shifted them so that he was back on the couch, his rookie straddling his lap as he remained buried deep within her. "This won't be loving," he ground out, finding her wet heat to be almost too much for him to handle.

Bracing her hands on his shoulders, Andy leaned herself over his body, their foreheads pressed together as she started to rise and fall above him, rolling her hips against his each time they met. "You're not my boyfriend," she found herself saying, a smile lacing her words as she remembered their talk from that morning. She felt Sam's laughter against her, not giving herself the time to hear it as she angled her head to kiss him deeply.

One hand keeping a tight grip on her hips, the other wound into her thick locks, Sam thrust hard from below, smiling into the kiss as he felt the vibrations of her moans against his lips. Biting and sucking at her full lower lip, he continued to tease her as they moved together, both of them edging closer to the precipice they wished to fall over.

Pulling back, Sam latched his mouth onto the side of her neck, biting and kissing at the tanned skin as he felt her slide a hand between their bodies. He could feel her walls fluttering around him as she worked herself over him; it only made him work harder at marking her neck – he wanted tangible proof come morning that they had done this.

It took almost no time for Andy to reach her end, body shuddering over Sam's as she clamped down around him, the waves of euphoria sweeping through her body as she came with a strangled cry of his name.

Sam's hands tightened on Andy's body as he followed her over the edge a few thrusts later, spilling deep into her sensitive body. As his hands let up on her skin and hair, Sam felt Andy resting against his chest as she tried to regain her breath. Panting softly himself, he carded his fingers through her hair, lips pressing a series of soft kisses to her forehead as silence engulfed them.

_Holy… must repeat. Must repeat._ Andy's thoughts were a jumbled mess as she laid against Sam, her eyes closed as she willed her body to relax as she came down from her high. The soft touches he was pressing to her body made her sigh gently; the soothing nature of them helping her heart rate to slow, and her eyes become heavy.

"That was…" she started, letting out another sigh when she couldn't find the right word to describe the sensations she had just felt.

Sam merely chuckled, hand moving from her hip to trace along her still partially covered spine, fingertips light upon her skin. "Falling asleep on me, McNally?"

Andy answered with a soft hum, lifting her head long enough to give Sam a shy smile, before burying her face back against his chest. Shaking his head, he positioned his hands so that he could lift her into his arms, soon navigating his way through her apartment to the bedroom. He carefully laid her on the bed, watching as she curled up on her side. A soft smile worked its way upon his lips as he covered her up, before returning to the scene of their crime.

A sigh escaped his lips, knowing just how stupid they had been that night. _Hopefully she won't regret it_, he found himself thinking as he redressed, gathering Andy's discarded clothes and piling them on the couch.

Making sure his keys, phone and wallet were all in his possession, Sam glanced back into the bedroom one last time before shaking his head, leaving his rookie's apartment.

* * *

Rays of sunlight covered her face, the warmth coaxing Andy to wake up from her dreamless slumber. Stretching languidly under the sheets, she let out a soft groan as she felt the tension in her lower back and thighs, her mind flicking back to what occurred last night.

Rolling over in bed, she sighed as she saw that it was empty, and as she relaxed back into the mattress, she noted that there were no sounds of her T.O being in her apartment still.

Her breath caught in her throat as the full realisation of what went down last night hit her. "You idiot," she muttered to herself as she tossed back the covers, swinging her legs around before grabbing her robe from the chair by her bed. "Not only do you sleep with someone who probably still hates your guts, but he's your T.O! The man left in the middle of the damn night, too, after he got what he wanted."

She continued to mutter to herself as she moved through her apartment, rolling her eyes as she saw the way her clothes were neatly folded on the arm of her couch. Shaking her head, she went about getting ready for the day, trying to push the previous night's events as far out of her mind as possible.

* * *

Walking into parade an hour later, Andy had to try her hardest to keep her eyes from scanning the room. She couldn't let on that anything had happened the previous night between herself and her newly appointed T.O, but she was finding it hard to conceal her nerves and guilt.

"What is going on with you this morning, Andy?" Traci asked as she guided them to chairs at the front of the parade room. "You're never normally this quiet."

Andy shrugged her shoulders, slumping in her chair as her eyes blankly stared ahead, trying to work out how to talk to Traci without giving her a play-by-play of what went down the previous night. "It's nothing."

"Don't give me that crap. I know something is wrong." Sighing, Traci looked over at her friend, shaking her head as she saw the slump of her shoulders; an almost defeated look for her usually strong friend.

Pushing herself to sit upright, Andy turned to face her friend, offering a wan smile. "I'll tell you later."

Nodding in agreement, Traci placed her hand lightly over her friend's, before turning her attention to the doorway, hearing Jerry laughing at whatever was being said to him. Flicking her eyes back to Andy, she noticed an odd expression flitting over her face as she, too, was focused on Jerry and Sam making their way into the room. _What's going on there?_

Swallowing hard, Andy tried to look away from the two chatting friends, but Sam looked up and caught her gaze. A look passed between them – one which she couldn't really decipher – and she bit down on her lip, turning her attention to the front of the room, where Boyko was giving the daily information.

She found herself zoning out throughout briefing, even though Traci kept poking at her arm in an attempt to keep her paying attention. By the time she finally had enough of the irritating pokes, Andy swatted her friend's hand away, before looking up at the Staff Sergeant as he gave the rookies their partners for the day.

"Nash with Shaw; Epstein with Williams; McNally with Swarek, and Peck and Diaz in booking and front desk respectively. Serve, protect, and look after one another."

With that, everyone was moving, Andy trying her hardest not to groan or show that her partnering with Sam was in any way affecting her. Sighing deeply as she stood, she felt Traci's hand brush her arm, and she gave a slight nod. "I promise we will talk later," she relented, smiling nervously before moving through the station, grabbing her go-bag before meeting with Sam by the cruiser.

"Ready for another day on the streets?" Sam cautiously asked, knowing there would be distinct tension between them. He looked up to see Andy's raised eyebrow at his question, and he couldn't help but shake his head as he climbed into the driver's seat, waiting for the rookie to take her spot in the car with him.

Pulling out of the parking lot, Sam began to drive their patrol route, silence engulfing the pair. Clearing his throat after a few minutes of awkward silence, Sam looked over to Andy, gazing briefly upwards, before speaking.

"Look, I know I made things awkward when I left last night, but this isn't something we can do. Or, at least, continue doing."

Andy nodded, leaning her head back against the seat with a sigh. "I get that, alright. You're my training officer, and this is my first week at Fifteen. I don't want to jeopardise that in any way. But the least you could have done was left a note, so that I didn't panic come morning -"

"Not your boyfriend, McNally," Sam drawled, pausing at a red light and looking over at his partner, trying not to laugh at the line that had been thrown between them multiple times in the last 24 hours.

Andy mirrored his smile, a small shake of her head accompanying a laugh that slipped from her lips. "Right… so… disregard?"

Sam swallowed, not wanting to so directly disregard their actions of the previous night, but knowing that he had to; for her sake. Nodding slightly, he pulled away as the traffic light turned green. "Disregard."

Andy wanted to add something to their conversation, to try and come up with a feasible plan in which they could go about working together without needing to disregard anything. But as she opened her mouth to speak, the radio between them crackled to life, Sam immediately picking reporting in that they would head over to the source of the 911 call.

Flicking on the sirens, Andy settled back into her seat, vowing that she and Sam would talk about things properly later.


	2. I'll be stuck fixated on one star

**Disclaimer: I do not own Rookie Blue, and I am in no way affiliated with the cast and crew of the series.**

**Story title taken from "When the Day Met the Night" by Panic at the Disco; chapter title taken from "7 Minutes in Heaven (Atavan Halen)" by Fall Out Boy.**

**Major references to "Fite Nite" – all credits to the wonderful writing staff on that episode for any verbatim dialogue/scene settings used. I'm not sure of the time span between 1x02 and 1x03, so I've taken a little creative licence with that part :3**

**I am completely overwhelmed by all the kind reviews and the floods of follows/favourites that this little piece of work has gotten! I never expected people to like it this much (yes, I am still terribly self-conscious when it comes to my writing). I hope I continue to please, and that the characters stay true to themselves! There have been a couple of things people have stated in reviews that I'm going to try and touch on throughout the rest of the story – rest assured, I'm gonna try and make it as real-world as possible. Also, please forgive me if I make mistakes with the cop/Toronto things; I'm an English nursing student in Australia who has yet to make it to Canada, so there may be many issues, but I hope that I can portray everything to the best of my ability! 3**

The past few weeks following their talk of disregarding what happened after their first shift together were terribly awkward and tension filled for Sam and Andy. Secret glances were stolen across the parade room, or throughout the station, and both Andy's and Sam's friends were catching onto something being wrong.

After her promise to tell Traci what had her in such a "bummed out" mood – description courtesy of Dov – Andy spun a story about Sam having chewed her out over the way she failed to obey direct orders from her training officer. Traci knew that her best friend was holding something back, but she knew when not to press; something that Andy was incredibly thankful for.

But over the days where they worked together, Andy was finding it increasingly hard to stay professional around her T.O. It all came to a head the week before last, when Sam stormed into the women's locker room, intent on yelling at his rookie until she understood that what she did was wrong.

_Pulling the fabric of her denim shorts up over her hips, Andy didn't notice the way the locker room quickly emptied around her. Once the button and zipper on her clothes was done up, she looked up, eyes widening and feeling herself taking a startled step backwards as she took in the form of Sam Swarek standing in front of her; a very angry Sam Swarek._

_"What?" Andy hissed out, reaching quickly for the shirt that was sitting at the bottom of her locker, fumbling with it so that she wouldn't feel quite so naked in front of Sam. _It's not as if he hasn't seen this much of your skin before…

_Shaking his head, Sam stepped closer to the rookie, bringing his arms up to pin her against the front of the lockers. "Just how hard is it for you to listen to what I tell you to do?" he muttered, eyes hard as he looked into her eyes, noting the trace of fear in them. _Good.

_Her mouth dropped open and for once, Andy couldn't find the words she wanted to say to Sam. His anger had her worried, but his close proximity… that was doing something else to her. Andy's breath hitched in her throat as she met Sam's steady gaze, licking her lips before finally grasping at words. "I'm sorry._

_Sam scoffed, stepping closer to the rookie pressed against the locker, a mirthless smile spreading over his lips. "You're 'sorry', McNally?" he asked, trying not to laugh at the naivety of the woman before him. "You think apologising is gonna bring the suspect walking through the station and into a cell? You think 'sorry' is gonna solve this homicide?"_

_Andy swallowed hard, knowing that she had screwed up badly. She felt like she did during her first day once more; being chewed out by Sam Swarek for something that was, in her mind, out of her control. "What is it you want me to say then, Swarek?"_

_"I don't want you to say anything," he all but growled in response, one hand moving from beside her head to cup the back of her neck, pulling her forward so he could kiss her. It wasn't a gentle or a loving kiss; it was all teeth and tongues, anger and frustration being poured into an action that would relieve the tension in the both of them._

_Her moan was muffled by his lips, and her hands moved to grasp at his shoulders. _Missed this_, she found herself thinking as she pressed herself closer to him, the need to be completely consumed by Sam Swarek so high within her. _

_Sam took her that day – against the lockers, hard and fast – both of them incredibly thankful that no one from the division walked into the locker room while they were otherwise occupied._

Ever since that confrontation, the tension between the two had eased. Perhaps it was because they were meeting up every few days to get everything out of their systems, or perhaps it was that Andy finally got it through her head that whilst they were on shift, she needed to follow Sam's instructions to a T, and never question him. He was the T.O of the two, and he had her best interests at heart, despite how often he made fun of her.

They had tried to talk once, when they were both coming down from their highs, sprawled out on Andy's bed, but as things went between the rookie and her T.O, the talk didn't exactly go to plan.

_"Could get used to that," Sam joked as he tried to regain his breath, one arm thrown over his head as his other hand tangled in Andy's hair, holding her head to his chest. He felt his rookie smile against his chest, followed by the soft press of her lips against sweaty skin._

_"Mmh, but we can't raise suspicions, remember?" The words slipped unbidden from Andy's lips, and she regretted them almost as soon as she spoke. She heard his sigh as the hand in her hair stopped moving, and Andy's eyes closed, her body shifting so that she could hide her face in the crook of his neck._

_"No, we can't," Sam finally agreed after a few moments of silence, both hands now running up and down her bare back. "But that doesn't mean we have to stop; just means we have to be a little careful…"_

_Andy hummed in agreement, knowing that the words he spoke were true. If word got out that the superior officer was sleeping with a rookie, eyebrows would be raised. And not just in terms of "special treatment" – there would most likely be an investigation into whether or not it was a case of sexual harassment; something neither of them wanted, even though they knew it wasn't even close to the truth._

_"Does it…" Andy started, finally pulling herself away from Sam, lifting her body up so that she could look down into his eyes. She sighed at the question she was about to ask, knowing it was something she would eventually regret – they weren't "together", after all. "Does it mean that we're free to see others?"_

_Sam hummed low in his throat, ignoring the way his heart clenched ever so slightly at her question. It was an innocent enough one, and he understood why she was asking. Perhaps if they both showed interest in other people, it would take eyes off them and their non-relationship for a while. "Yeah… yeah, it does, Andy."_

_Silence engulfed them after Sam's answer; but it wasn't an awkward one, for once. Both officers were lost in their own individual thoughts, and eventually they dozed off, side by side._

Shaking her head to bring herself out of the memories from the past couple of weeks, Andy tried to make herself pay attention to what Boyko was saying. He mentioned that there would be a briefing after lunch with Jerry and Sam in the surveillance room, but the rest of what had been spoken was in one ear and out the other.

Coming back into focus when everyone started moving around her, Andy got to her feet and wandered to the assignment board, scanning the list of cars for her name. She didn't know whether to smile or groan when she saw her name written next to Sam's.

_Fated to always be partnered_, she thought with a small smile, wondering just how she had been partnered with Sam so consistently lately, whereas all the other rookies had been getting their T.O's changed up. Breaking herself from her thoughts, Andy once more collected her bag, stopping by the coffee station to pick up some for herself and Sam, before heading out to the cruiser, her lips quirking at the sight of him leaning lazily against the driver's door.

Stepping over to him, she handed his coffee over, before rounding to the boot of the car. As she left him, though, she felt his hand graze over her lower back, and a smirk crossed her lips; this would be an interesting morning indeed.

Sam waited as Andy deposited her go-bag and climbed into the car, before he slipped into the driver's seat, glancing over at her from the corner of his eye. "I got one thing to ask of you today, McNally, and that is to be at the briefing on time. Even if it means I let you go to lunch early. Got it?"

Andy let out a soft laugh and nodded, before remembering that she was supposed to catch up with her dad at lunch. "Actually, if I could go to lunch early, that would be great. Gotta stop by my place as well as my dad's…" She trailed off in her speech, knowing that Sam probably didn't care less about her lunch time plans; that is, if they didn't involve him.

Sam could only laugh at the rookie's rambling; she really was allergic to silence. Shaking his head as they pulled out of the lot and onto the streets of Toronto, Sam cast his gaze over to her, smiling. "Got any time for me in those busy lunch plans?" he teased, noting the flush that came to Andy's cheeks.

She stumbled for words, something that made her laugh to herself when not even five minutes ago she couldn't shut up. As a call came through from dispatch, Andy reached her hand over and placed it teasingly high on Sam's thigh, causing him to sputter as he responded to the call. "I'm sure I can fit you in somewhere."

* * *

The call ended up being nothing interesting, at least from a teaching point of view. Just a married couple bickering too loudly for their neighbour to take; it was all sorted out with some calming words (which may have taken almost two hours to deliver to the couple) and the departure of the wife for work.

Andy found herself laughing by the time they got back to the cruiser, an action that had Sam's eyebrow raised as he wondered just what went through his rookie's mind on a daily basis. Shaking his head, he pulled the vehicle away from the kerb, pointedly driving towards Andy's apartment.

"Presumptuous, much?" Andy murmured under her breath as she realised the direction in which her T.O was driving. She looked over to him as the streets passed them by, waiting to see some hint of emotion that could betray his current thoughts.

"You said you needed to stop at your place; figured driving you there would reduce your chances of being late to the briefing later," Sam replied with a small shrug, glancing over at his companion before shaking his head. "I'm more than happy to pull over here and make you walk to your apartment, you know."

"No, no," Andy replied quickly, holding her hands up as she quickly shook her head. "The ride would be great, thank you."

The corner of Sam's lips quirked into a smile, but he showed no other outward signs of recognition of her thanks. The drive to her apartment block was short and quiet, and Sam let out a sigh of relief as he pulled up outside. Killing the engine, he watched as Andy climbed out of the squad car, and he followed her lead; exiting the vehicle, locking it up, and following her inside. He didn't know if he was supposed to follow her in, but Sam Swarek lived by no one's rules but his own.

Entering her apartment, Andy made a beeline for the kitchen, where she grabbed leftover pizza from the night before, and set it in the microwave to reheat. As she turned back to move through to her bedroom, she noticed Sam standing in the doorway, leaning against the jamb with his arms crossed over his chest.

Laughing softly to herself, Andy took a step closer to him, unable to stop herself from reaching out to touch his cheek. "Help yourself to something to drink; I'll be right back." Without thinking about her actions, she pulled Sam's face down to hers, kissing him deeply; the sudden need to forget everything but him flaring deep within.

Sam groaned into the kiss, his hands moving to bury in Andy's hair, holding her in place. His hips bucked forwards as their tongues tangled, both of them trying to taste as much of the other as possible.

Pulling back, Andy looked at Sam through glazed eyes, before murmuring low, "I'll be right back." Heading into her bedroom, she set out to complete the task she had originally came to her apartment to complete – grab her camera and her jacket to take to Fite Nite. She had been in such a rush this morning when Traci came early that she had forgotten to pack either of them in her bag.

Grabbing the items, Andy hurried back into the kitchen, placing her jacket and camera on one end of the counter, before rooting through her cupboards, pulling out two plates before dishing up the reheated pizza. Carrying the plates to where Sam now sat in the living room, she smiled almost shyly as she handed one to him, setting the other on the coffee table beside the glass of water her T.O had gotten for her.

The two didn't speak as they ate their lunch; simply sharing flirty glances and not-so-surreptitious looks as they worked their way through the meagre offer of food that Andy produced. After clearing their plates and glasses, Andy returned to the couch, where she saw Sam take of his utility belt. A brow arched as she took in his more relaxed form, her thumbs moving to hook into her own uncomfortable belt. "Getting comfy?"

Sam chuckled, reaching forward to undo and remove Andy's belt, tossing it next to his before pulling her into his lap. "You started something in the kitchen earlier," he murmured, lips pressing a trail of soft kisses down his neck. "I just want to make sure that you finish it." His sentence was punctuated by the thrust of his hips below her, and he smirked as a strangled moan left his lips.

"Don't have long," Andy gasped out, rolling her hips down against his as she tried her hardest to think straight. _Gotta get to Dad's within the hour,_ she managed to think, before the feeling of Sam's erection brought her back to the present. _The least I can do is make him comfortable_.

Grinning to herself at the idea of putting her… Sam… before her, Andy pressed a long, needy kiss to Sam's lips, before sliding off his lap, onto her knees between his legs. Looking up at him from under her lashes, she fumbled with the buckle to his belt, before setting to work on the fastenings of his uniform trousers. Licking her lips as she finally looked at his face, Andy's hand delved beneath the clothing, withdrawing the hard length that had her thighs rubbing together with need.

Sam watched her, eyebrow arched with curiosity as his hands moved to push the stray hair from her forehead. His head soon fell back against the sofa as he felt the tip of his length engulfed in wet heat. Arching his hips slightly so that he could get more of her mouth wrapped around him, Sam let out a low groan as he brought his gaze back to hers, cursing softly.

Smiling around him, Andy began to take more of him into her mouth, laving with her tongue as she sucked gently at the tip, her eyes always connected to his. Pulling off, she pressed the lightest of kisses to his crown, before taking as much as she could, humming around him as one hand teased his sac, the other scrambling to undo her own trousers to feel some kind of relief.

One hand gripped at her shoulder, the other at her loose ponytail as he thrust into her warm mouth, feeling the tightening in his groin, knowing his end was about to come, and embarrassingly fast. A choked moan left his lips as his hips stuttered, and with a hoarse cry of her name, he found himself releasing onto her tongue.

His climax took her by surprise, but as she pulled back, Andy couldn't help but grin as she swallowed Sam's release. To have been able to bring Sam to pieces with just her mouth was enough to have her grinning like a fool, even if it didn't take him too long for the end to have been reached.

A soft groan left Sam's lips as he watched her swallow, but he found his gaze drawn south, to where he watched her hand moving frantically beneath her uniform. Shaking his head, he stood and quickly tucked himself back into his clothes before helping Andy off the ground, pushing her onto the couch where he was moments before.

Tugging down the lower half of her uniform and her underwear in one go, Sam whispered a curse as he noticed just how wet his lover was for him. "Jesus, McNally," he murmured, hands sliding up her bared thighs, pausing at her hips as his thumbs gently teased her lips open.

Leaning down, he swiped a stripe from her entrance to her clit, groaning in pleasure as her taste and scent assaulted his senses. He felt himself twitch beneath his clothing, but he had already had his fun; this was all about Andy. Glancing up briefly, he saw the way her head was thrown back, how her hands were gripping the cushions of the couch as he moved back in, lips securing around her nub as his fingers slipped into her wetness.

Lips and fingers were moving in perfect unison, and it wasn't long before Andy was begging with breathless words. With one final crook of his fingers, Sam felt her clenching tightly around him, watching the shivers wrack her body as he dipped his head down to lap her juices from her skin.

Biting hard at her lip as her body slowly came down from its high, Andy focused on the figure of Sam, slowly standing as he re-did the fastenings to his uniform. Swallowing hard, she sat up, lifting her hips off the sofa so she, too, could redress, before getting to her feet. Tugging the discarded belt back around her waist, she tried to catch her breath and her bearings as she heard the water in the kitchen running.

Peering around, she watched as Sam washed his hands, before setting the dishes in the sink to soak while they were out. She smiled at the way he helped her, even if it was something he did subconsciously when at a friend's house, before wandering up to the counter and grabbing her jacket and camera. "Ready to head out?"

Drying his hands, Sam gave a small nod and a smile as he passed Andy, returning to the sofa to grab his belt, before walking to the door of her apartment. He opened his mouth to offer her a ride to her next destination – he remembered her ramblings from earlier that day – but soon closed it as she bit her lip, holding the items in her hand out, almost as if he were to take them from her.

"Do you mind taking these back to the barn for me, and leaving them on my desk? Think I'm gonna walk to Dad's place; don't want him to worry if he looks out the window and sees the cruiser on the street…"

Chuckling at the way she rambled, Sam nodded and grabbed the proffered items, waiting for his rookie to lock up the apartment before walking back to the street with her. "Remember, briefing is in an hour," Sam murmured, checking his watch as he spoke. Seeing the nod Andy gave him in response, he leaned down, brushing a soft kiss to her temple, before returning to the squad car. "For the love of God, don't be late!"

"I won't!" Andy called back with a laugh, shaking her head as she turned to the direction of her dad's place, a deep sigh leaving her lips.

* * *

_Crap, crap, crap!_ Andy thought to herself as she ran the distance from her dad's apartment to the precinct, knowing that she was cutting it incredibly close. After having to break into her own father's apartment, most of her time had been wasted, and she just knew that Sam would be on her back about it.

Groaning as she entered the building, she knew she was receiving odd looks from the officers not included in the briefing. As she passed the desks in the bullpen, she glanced briefly over, unable to stop the small laugh that left her lips as she saw Shaw all but shooing her in the direction surveillance room, sandwich falling apart in his other hand.

Slowing her jog to a quick paced walk, Andy quickly entered the room, noting that Jerry was talking about a bullet in his hand. _Best ask Traci later what it's all about_, she thought, stepping beside her friend with a soft "hey" as she tried to make it look like she had been there all along. Andy tried to stop her eyes from glancing in Sam's direction as she surreptitiously caught her breath, but she knew it would only be a matter of time before their gazes crossed.

"What happened to you?" Traci asked, reaching up to brush what she thought was dust from Andy's shoulder. As her fingers came into contact with the light particles, she felt the roughness of broken glass beneath her fingers, wondering just what had happened to her friend over lunch.

"It's a long story," Andy whispered back, thankful that it was Traci who had noticed her slightly dishevelled state and not –

"Officer McNally," Sam spoke up, lips quirked up as he brought the attention of everyone in the room to her. "Good lunch? Tasty dessert?" A smirk definitely accompanied the end of his speech, his mind thinking back to what had occurred on her couch just a mere hour ago.

Trying her hardest to school her features and not let a blush rise on her cheeks, Andy looked down as she murmured, "It won't happen again, sir." Eyes remaining on the floor as she tried to get her body's reactions under control, Andy tuned out the rest of Sam's speech, until he got to the assignments.

"Peck, since you were here for the briefing, you're in charge back there." Sam watched as Andy's face fell at his words, but he knew that he had to play fair. While Andy was the more advance of the two rookies being paired up for the back of the building, she had been late, and he knew that something would be said if he showed a slight favourite to his current trainee.

As Jerry dismissed them, Andy quickly spoke to Gail, needing a few minutes to catch her breath and sift through her thoughts. Maybe not the most professional thing to do, but better to get herself under control in the barn, than to not be focused while on assignment. Leaving the surveillance room, Andy moved down the stairs and stopped just outside the door to the D's office, eyes closed as she pulled in a deep breath.

Shaking her head, she looked up as a familiar figure moved past her, and she couldn't help the smile that spread over her lips as she watched Luke attempt to get into his office. "Hey!"

Watching as he pulled the coffee cup that had been between his teeth into his full hand, Andy had to try her hardest not to laugh at Luke's response. "Hey, it's… you…"

"I can see how you made detective," she replied, allowing a small laugh to escape from her lips. _Surprised I'm not the one tongue-tied by his presence; though I guess I've already had my embarrassing word-vomit moment with Luke on my first day…_

"You going to Fite Nite?"

Giving a nod and a smile, Andy launched into a quick explanation about going to the event, as well as why. Not that Luke needed to know, but she was Andy McNally, the girl who could babble on for days.

Luke smiled as she talked, informing her of his own plans, when he saw Swarek moving down the stairs, ready to break up their little chit-chat, if the look on his face was anything to go by.

"McNally, step it up!" Sam spoke, passing between Andy and Luke, knowing that the detective understood why he was being so brusque with her. Nothing like instilling fear into the rookies while it was still their first month; something Sam and Luke loved to do together in the barn.

"Gotta go!" Andy spoke quickly, shooting Luke an apologetic look before hurrying off in the direction of the Sally Port, hoping that Gail's mood wasn't too sour today.

* * *

While it was exciting to be part of an undercover sting – even though she wasn't technically the UC officer – Andy couldn't wait to get back to the barn, once the trade-off was complete. Standing in the building with no one but Gail to keep her company, finding that even the radio silence was deafening; it was sure to drive her insane if she stayed there any longer.

A deep sigh left Andy's lips as she looked out of the window at the street below, hearing the slight movement of Gail next to her. She bit at her lip as her eyes scanned the concrete, soon releasing another sigh as Gail finally spoke.

"So… you dating anyone these days?"

Andy's eyes widened slightly, and a look of panic crossed her face. She quickly turned away, trying to calm herself down as she thought about how best to answer the question. She and Sam may not exactly be dating, but it was true that she was technically seeing someone. Then again, this was Gail, daughter of White Shirts and a royal pain in the ass, so anything said to her would most likely turn into office gossip, and make it so that she wouldn't be cut loose at the end of their probation period.

"Uh… nope, no," Andy replied with a shake of her head, never letting her eyes stray from the window. She knew Gail was trying to poke at something, but at what? "You?"

"It's just that you and Swarek seem kinda friendly."

_Crap! Crap, crap, crap. Ugh, Andy, you can't do subtle to save your life!_ She tried to hide the panic as best as she could, looking at Gail from the corner of her eye, trying to play it off as her partner reading too much into things. "Hmm?" Andy finally allowed a noise to slip past her lips, knowing that if she didn't respond, Gail would think something was up. _And in responding, she'll probably clue into there being something up. She's a Peck, after all._

"I'm not saying that he's not adorable in that bossy, rough trade sort of way." Andy tried her hardest not to snort at the way she described Sam. To her, he was neither adorable, nor could be called 'rough trade' in any way. Bossy was certainly on the mark, though. "Just… just be careful, that's all. I mean, he's your training officer and you're his rookie – it's kind of a no-no."

The brunette was taken aback by how caring her fellow rookie was sounding in that moment – it actually made her want to open up a little more.

"It's actually a rule."

_And the moment is gone,_ Andy thought, sighing internally as she tried not to bite down on her lip, or show any other outward signs of discomfort or nerves. "Yeah, well, it doesn't need to be, cause he's not my type." _Who are you trying to kid, McNally?_

Gail tried not to roll her eyes as she looked at Andy, trying not to reveal that she did in fact know that Sam Swarek was the brunette's type, especially after witnessing the kiss in the parking lot a few weeks back. She was planning on keeping that titbit of information to herself a while longer; _you never know when information like that will come in handy_. "Oh, shut up. He'd be anybody's type."

This time, Andy did roll her eyes, finding it easy to laugh at Gail as she waved a hand between them. "Okay, he's all yours," she spoke, trying to keep the memory of her and Sam saying that they were non-exclusive in her mind, so that she wouldn't get jealous of the idea of a fellow rookie showing interest in him. Swallowing, she returned her full attention to the job at hand – and just in time, too. "Look! Silver SUV; that's him."

Just as she was reaching to press down on the button of her radio, Andy let out a small groan as she heard Gail already calling in the information.

"Peck here; silver SUV heading southwest on Green Street – too much tint to see how many occs." Turning to face her fellow rookie, Gail's lips spread into a grin, almost celebratory in nature. Seeing the blank look on Andy's face, she let go of the button of her radio, before explaining in a soft whisper, "Occupants."

It took all of Andy's power not to roll her eyes at Gail, knowing that it would cause more tension in the already uncomfortable location the two shared. _Just bide your time until the op is over. Can't take too much longer now the buyer is here._

She moved her arm up to brace herself against the edge of the window, eyes trained on the ground below as she took in every minute detail.

Gail continued to watch Andy's form in her peripheral vision, just waiting for the brunette to crack and tell all about her sordid relationship. She wouldn't admit to it, but as Jerry's question flowed through the radio, she jumped slightly. Clutching her radio, she replied in a calm voice, before Andy could get a chance. _This is my lead, dammit._ "He's heading south on Fleet Street, sir."

"Epstein, Nash, he's coming at you." Andy's lips quirked into a smile as she thought about how her friends would be able to be more of the operation than they were – they had a visual on the target as well as the building where the trade was to go down. If anything happened, they were front line. She had been trying to find the positive in being in the back building with Gail, telling herself that she would at least be close to the action, unlike Chris, stuck back at the barn with Jerry and Sam. _Yes, but the barn _does_ have Sam…_

Tension was thick once more as the two rookies waited with bated breath for their next instructions. They both wanted to be closer to the action, but they were not going to complain; everyone had to start somewhere, and it better that they start with a small op doing back-building surveillance where they couldn't screw up, than to be closer to the action and have it all go balls-up because of them.

"Who's hearing this?"

Any was quick to respond to Jerry's question, radioing back to the detective, "It's up here, sir."

"Where's here, McNally?" Andy had to try her hardest not to groan or roll her eyes as Sam came onto the radio, knowing that he would take any chance he could get at embarrassing her. _Well, you weren't exactly clear, you goose_, Andy thought, reaching for her radio once more to try and fix her minute mistake.

"Third floor, southwest end of the hallway," Gail jumped in, rolling her eyes at the brunette as she turned away from the window.

Andy glared at the blonde as she listened to Traci speak, pulling in a couple of deep breaths in an attempt to keep her cool. It wouldn't be right to get upset with Gail when she was only trying to speed the operation along. Their task was to help the UC assignment happen, and to get the officer out in one piece. Petty squabbling would not help attain that outcome.

"Peck, McNally, make them shut up now, whatever it takes," Sam ordered, and the two females looked at each other, trying not to show outward signs of amusement at the T.O's choice of words.

"Okay, follow my lead."

* * *

Knowing now that Melanie was safe at the women's shelter, Andy was thankful to be able to change out of her uniform and into her street clothes. The comfort that her jeans and summer top brought was almost ridiculous, but after spending a day in uniform, first with Sam and then with Gail, it was more than a relief. It was as if changing her clothes erased the other events of the day.

"Off to Fite Nite?"

Andy looked up as she heard Sam's voice, a small smile flitting over her lips as she watched him enter the women's locker room. Her mind flicked back to the last time he was in here, but she shook her head, dislodging the thought before it could carry her away. It took all her power not to flush as she saw the smirk on Sam's lips, obviously having worked out where her thoughts were headed.

"About to head there, yes," she replied, turning back around to pull her shoes from her locker. "To what do I owe this visit, sir?"

Hearing him move up behind her, Andy tried to ignore his presence as she slipped her shoes on and closed her locker door. Shivering as she felt Sam's hand slide under her shirt, pressing against the warm skin of her back, she spun around, looking into the T.O's eyes. "Careful, Swarek. Peck is still around here," she murmured, pushing him away slightly before taking a seat on the bench, pulling her back up off the floor so she could pull out her wallet.

"Just came in here to give you these," Sam spoke after coughing, hoping that the aforementioned blonde wasn't in fact in the locker room still, for that would be an awkward conversation to have. Holding his hand out, he watched as Andy's face brightened in recognition of her camera and jacket, before a small laugh left his lips. "Stop leaving your crap in my squad car, you hear?"

Just then, Gail came out from the shower area, trying to hold back the slight shriek that wanted to leave her lips at the presence of one of the T.O's in the locker room. Her eyes moved from Sam to Andy, trying to work out what was going on; but having heard the last sentence he spoke, she thought perhaps she had been wrong – perhaps Andy and Sam were naught but rookie and T.O.

"Thank you," the brunette replied, grabbing the items quickly and placing them in her bag, before shaking her head. "See you at Fite Nite," she added in quickly, hoping that he would leave soon, so that Gail wouldn't become any more suspicious.

Giving a quick nod to Andy, and offering Gail an apologetic smile, Sam started to back out of the locker room. "See you there. Peck, McNally."

* * *

"I hope I do as well as she did!"

Andy almost jumped out of her skin as Luke suddenly appeared next to her. Looking up at him, she couldn't help the way her head tilted as he regarded his words. "You're fighting?"

"No, no," he replied with a laugh, leaning against the ring as he shook his head. "I kinda wish I was cause you would have thought it was cool."

Andy couldn't help but join in with his laughing, a genuine smile lighting up her face. "A little bit, yeah."

"Lemme buy you a drink."

She rolled her eyes as she took a step closer to him, hand brushing lightly against his arm as she found herself flirting back. "It's an open bar."

"Well then, buy me a drink," he smiled, taking a half step closer, unable to tear his eyes away from the beauty before him. Luke had never been so captivated by a woman after knowing her for such a short amount of time, but Andy was special, in more ways than one.

"Oh wow, what a gentleman," she started to reply, before groaning internally as she caught sight of her dad in her peripheral vision. Shaking her head to herself, she rambled out a question to Luke, not bothering to hear his answer as she slipped away, hoping to get to her father before he caused too much of a scene.

Swallowing as he watched her go, Luke shook his head. _We'll try that again tomorrow, Andy. I'm not gonna let you slip away that easily_.

Hurrying over to her dad, Andy knew that she was too slow when the first punch was thrown. Trying not to let her emotions get the better of her, she gave a nod of thanks to the officer restraining him, swallowing hard as she willed the tears down from her eyes. She knew that she had most eyes on her at that point in time, but she couldn't allow herself to cause more of a scene.

"What are you doing? Stop it." Andy muttered, clenching her fists beside her body as she tried not to raise her voice at her father. It was so hard not to get into a fight with him; but enough attention had been drawn to the McNally name so far today, and she wasn't going to damage their reputations further. "You said you weren't going to drink…"

"Had only a couple," Tommy muttered, his gaze lowered to the ground so that he didn't see the disappointment in his daughter's face. He had screwed up, yet again, and he knew that Andy more than likely wouldn't forgive him this time. He had screwed up far too often to warrant her kindness. _Why does she still try so hard?_

"You promised me," she ground out, trying her hardest to fight back the tears that wanted to be known.

"Maybe I shouldn't have," he replied, still unable to meet Andy's gaze. He could feel all eyes on them at that point in time, and he knew it was his fault that so much attention and focus was being put on them. _Andy doesn't deserve this._

"Well maybe you shouldn't have gotten drunk." The words hung in the air between them for a few minutes, before she spoke again. "Maybe you shouldn't have hit that guy."

"Do you know how hard it is for me to be back here?" Tommy asked, holding a wet cloth up to his eye, wanting to stop it from swelling, even if he was too numb from the alcohol he ingested to feel the pain. "Do you know what that guy said to me -"

"I don't care what he said to you; I really _don't_ care." She was done caring. How many times was she to put her emotions, her _job_ on the line to help her alcoholic father? "I have to work with these people," she sighed, looking around to see that most eyes were still on her.

Tommy finally realised what was eating away at his daughter, and he could understand why; not that it managed to stop the words from hurting as he murmured, "You're embarrassed of me…"

"No, Dad," she sighed, eyes flicking to the ground as she shook her head. "That's not what I meant."

"Yeah, but you are." He had known it for a long time now, but he knew that Andy was too kind-hearted to ever say anything about it to him.

"I'm sorry… I'm sorry, okay? It's fine…" She reached out to grasp her dad's wrist, to try and show him that he really didn't mean it, but it was too late, apparently.

Tommy snatched his wrist away from his daughter and moved away, shaking his head as he tried to put as much distance between them as possible. _If I'm an embarrassment, I better get away before I really do hurt her career._

Swallowing as she watched her father go, Andy felt as the tears she was trying to hold at bay spilled over her cheeks. She tried to ignore them, tried not to let the pain and fear show at that moment. She was thankful that the attention had been drawn away from her, though, as the next fight was announced. It meant that she had some time to pull herself together before anyone noticed just how much her father had her worked up.

Glancing around quickly to make sure that nobody would see her hasty retreat, Andy made her way to the front entrance, slipping outside into the cooling night air. Allowing herself to follow the exterior of the building around, so that she wouldn't be noticed, she fell back against the brickwork, a gentle sob leaving her lips as the weight of the day's events hit her.

It wasn't just the things with her father, but having to witness Melanie's situation, and everything with Sam and with Gail had tears falling from her eyes. She knew deep down that the blonde was onto whatever arrangement it was that she had with Sam, and there was a deep-set fear in her gut that their secret would be told to Boyko. There was the pain of not being able to talk to Sam whenever she wanted to, about whatever she needed to; about not being able to openly show affection when it was all she wanted to do. She simply needed to comfort that only a lover could give, but she wouldn't be able to get that tonight.

Pulling in a few deep breaths, she pushed herself away from the wall and swiped at her eyes, trying to remove all traces of her mini break down. She needed to be a lot stronger than this if she were to keep working at Fifteen; it didn't matter what was said about the past. Tomorrow was a new day, and she could get a fresh start then.

Resolve strong, she re-entered the building, heading over to where Traci, Chris, Dov and Gail were all chatting, but before she could join her fellow rookies, her cell started ringing. _Melanie…_

* * *

Thankful that Noelle was willing to join her to talk to Melanie, Andy gave the officer a small nod as she left the barn for the final time that night, keeping her head high as she realised that perhaps being a cop wasn't all about the rules; that there was space to make yourself feel good, even if the person in question didn't want to do what was best for them.

It was a fine line, Andy realised, as she walked across the street to The Black Penny, but it was one that she would constantly be toeing if she were to be the cop that she had always dreamed of being.

Entering the Penny, she smiled as she saw the familiar blue shirt at the bar, and she made a beeline for him, settling herself down on the stool next to his.

"Hey, you made it," Luke smiled as he looked up, glad that the rookie had been able to tear herself away from whatever it was that had been occupying her thoughts all night. Perhaps he would ask her what was going on, but for now, he wanted to test the waters; to see if anything could come of their mutual attraction and harmless flirting.

"So did you," Andy replied, fingers tracing random patterns on the bar top as she watched him carefully.

"Everything alright?" he asked, wanting to reach out to still her nervous hands, but knowing that he would be pushing it too soon.

Offering a small smile, Andy nodded, trying to stop her gaze from wandering to the man sitting a few stools away from them. "Yeah. Everything is… fine."

"So, you gonna let me buy you that drink?"

Eyes darting quickly to Sam, who gave her a small smile and a nod, Andy looked back at Luke, smiling as she saw the shyness behind his question. "Yes, yes I am," she replied, trying not to let out a soft giggle as the detective flagged down the bartender almost instantly.

**A/N: I know a lot of it was rehashing the episode, but I wanted to try and get some thought processes into the characters as I set up what's to come in future chapters. Next chapter may take a little longer to arrive, as it's exam period for me which means uber stress _ There is a reason that Andy is acting on the attraction to Luke, and there is reason Sam is okay with it – just bear with me on that! ^_^ Hope you enjoyed!**


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